Desk



Oct. 2, 1945. l. R. CORNISH 2,386,092

DESK

Filed Dec. 51, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V 2 y? A xi; 4

j? l! I I Z0 f57 ll //J ll /15 6* i l S42 L /fl Patented Oct. 2, 1945v UNITED STATES PATENT oFFl'cE Bank of Bloomington, executors ot said George Noble Paxton, deceased Application December 3l, 1943, Serial No. 516,321

7CIalms.

This invention relates to an improved desk construction, and more particularly, to an improvement in ilat top desks such as are generally in use in oiiices and elsewhere.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a desk in which the entire area of the desk top is within reasonably convenient reach of a person sitting at the front or back oi' the desk; to provide a desk structure in which equipment built into the desk, such as a ille for example, is presented in a more convenient position than are the files and the like in conventional desks; to provide a desk embodying the indicated improved features which will have a pleasing and attractive appearance and which may be made strong and sturdy at a cost not materially greater than the cost of producing conventionaldesks of equivalent quality.

Other objects andadvantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following speciilcation and accompanying drawings (two sheets) wherein there is disclosed a desk embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a plan, certain portions being broken away to more completely illustrate the structure;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections respectively on the lines 3-3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, the improved desk embodies a flat top 5, and a pair of pedestals 6 and 1 respectively. The pedestals 6 and I may be of substantially like construction except that one is right-hand and the other left-hand.

Each pedestal is of generally rectangular form in horizontal plan or cross-section. Each embodies an inner side wall 8, a front 9, an outer side wall Ill, a back wall Il and a wall portion I2 connecting the adjacent ends of the inner wall 8 and rear wall Il. 'Ihe inner and outer side walls of each pedestal are in substantially parallel relation to each other as are also the front and back of the pedestals. vThe various ing wan'porncns |z| 2 are so arranged that they are substantially parallel to each other as shown.

The pedestals may be interconnected by a wall panel I extending between the walls I2-I2 near their rearward ends and the said pedestals are further connected by the desk top 5 which overlies the areas of both of the pedestals and the spaces therebetween. 4The top may be rigidly secured to the pedestals in any suitable manner well known in the art. Also, the details of attachment of the various wall panels to each other and to the leg posts of the pedestals may be in keeping with ordinary desk construction practice wherefore such details are not herein illustrated.

The desk top has its central front edge portion I6 extending between the inner front corners of the pedestals, preferably although not necessarly, in a substantially straight line and in proximity to the plane of the front of the desk as determined by the plane of the inner front corners of the pedestals. The desk top also has front edge portions I 'I-I1 in proximity to and in parallel relation to the plane of the fronts of the respective pedestals and side edge portions |8-I8 similarly related to the outerside walls I0 of the pedestals. The top preferably extends rearwardly beyond the rear outer corner posts of the pedestals so as to provide a ledge portion I9 of such width as to facilitate occupancy of 4the rear portion of the desk by a person sitting with his or her knees under said ledge portion. Under the rear ledge portion of the desk top there may be provided a strengthening rail 20 suitably secured to the underside of thedesk top and serving also to improve the general appearance of the desk.

Each pedestal of the desk may be equipped with suitable work-holding drawers, such as represented at 2|. A desired number of said drawers may be provided depending more or less upon the required depth of the drawers. The rearwardly converging pedestal arrangement makes the mounting in the pedestal of le containers or boxes represented at 22 particularly desirable. Said ille boxes are preferably of a pivotally or tiltably mounted type, such as disclosed in detail in co-pending application, Serial No. 484,392, John Warren Paxton, George N. Paxton and Irving R. Cornish, inventors. In general, such ille boxes comprise iront and bottom walls 23 and 2l respectively and end walls 25-25, said lle boxes being mounted in the pedestals for 4rocking movement by means of a pair of cross links 26 and 21 which are pivotally mounted as shown at 28 and 2@ on the end walls cf the file box, and pivotally mounted as indicated at 3'@ and 3l on the adjacent side walls of the respective pedestals. The le boxes, mounted as above described, swing from closed position as illustrated in the left-hand pedestal of Fig. 1, to the open position illustrated in ,the right-hand pedestal of Figs. l and 3. It will be observed that in the open position, the file box extends rearwardly and outwardly at an angle relative to the plane of the central front portion of the desk so that a person occupying the front of the desk may conveniently examine the contents of the file box without turning away from the desk to such a large degree as is necessary in conventional desks in which the drawers and file boxes pull out perpendicularly from the plane of the normal front of the desk. This is a substantial convenience for any person who does a great amount of work with les kept in a desk ille.

A drawer such as indicated at 32, may be pro vided in the central front portion of the' desk more or less in keeping with conventional desk construction, and sliding shelves 33-33 may similarly be provided in the upper portions of the pedestals. The sliding shelves will, in the present construction, pull out in a' substantially perpendicular relation to the fronts of the respective pedestals. Because of the angular position of the pedestals and the corresponding angular position of -the sliding shelves 33 when pulled out into useable position, the person occupying the desk has comparative freedom of movement between said shelves instead of being more or less boxed in between a corresponding pair of parallel shelves in a' conventional desk of normal size. This is a further advantage of the angular disposition of the pedestals.

Suitable framework, indicated at 34, may be provided between the central front drawer 32 and the angularly disposed inner side walls 8 of the pedestals to maintain a completely iinished appearance and,.if desired, the triangular spaces enclosed by said framework may be occupied by smaller triangular drawers.

The described desk construction provides a number of utilitarian conveniences, such as already mentioned, and in addition, provides a desk having atop area of which substantially all portions are much more easily reached by an occupant of the desk than is the case in conventional rectangular top desks. Furthermore, the angular ends of the desk facilitate certain arrangements of a pluralityof desks which conserve oor space.

Changes in the described construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in 'the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A desk comprising a top and a pair of pedestals supporting said top, 'the pedestals being of generally rectangular form in horizontal section and having storage space therein said pedestals being disposed in rearwardly converging relation to each other, whereby there are provided spaces between the pedestals which are wide at the front and back of the desk and which taper inwardly to smaller width intermediate the front and back of the desk, said pedestals having relatively spaced, substantially parallel wall portions respectively connecting the inner side and rear walls of the respective pedestals, said parallel wall portions providing leg space extending inwardly from the inner end of said vsaid pedestals and said aseaoea front, inwardly tapering space, said top overlying spaces.

2. A desk comprising a top and'a pair of pedestals supporting said top, the pedestals being of generally rectangular form 'in horizontal section and having storage space Atherein said pedestals being disposed in rearwardly converging relation to each other, whereby there are provided spaces between the pedestals which are Wide at the front and back of the desk and which taper inwardly to smaller width intermediate the front and back of the desk, said pedestals having relatively spaced, substantially parallel wall portions respectively connecting the inner side and rear walls of the respective pedestals, said parallel wall portions providing leg space extending inwardly from the inner end of said front, inwardly tapering space, said top overlying said pedestals and said spaces and extending rearwardly beyond the rear, outer corners of said pedestals so as to provide a ledge extending substantially the entire length of the rear of the desk.

3. A desk comprising a top and a pair of pedestals supporting said top, the pedestals being of generally rectangular form in horizontal section and having storage space therein said pedestals being disposed in rearwardly converging relation to each other, whereby there are provided spaces between thepedestals which are wide at the front and back of the desk and which taper inwardly to smaller width intermediate the front and back of the desk, said pedestals having relatively spaced, substantially parallel wall portions respectively connecting the inner side and rear walls of the respective pedestals, said parallel wall portions providing leg space extending inwardly from the inner end of said front, inwardly tapering space, said top overlying said pedestals and said spaces and having a central front edge portion extending from the inner front corner of one of said pedestals to the corresponding corner of the other pedestal, front edge portions beyond said central portion and substantially parallel to the planes of the fronts of said pedestals, end edge portions substantially parallel to the outer sides of said pedestals, and a rear portion extending rearwardly beyond the rear outer corners of said pedestals so as to provide a ledge extending substantially the entire length of the rear of the desk.

4. In a desk, the combination of an elongated desk top, and hollow pedestals disposed under the end portions of said desk top and containing storage facilities, said pedestals having substantially parallel front and rear wall portions and substantially parallel inner and outer side wall'- portions disposedy at substantially right angles to said front and rear wall portions, the pedestals being disposed under said top in such angular relationship to each other that the inner side walls extend rearwardly from the front of the desk in converging relationship to each other and the rear walls extend forwardly from the rear of the desk in converging relationship to each other, whereby there is provided leg space under both the front and back portions of the desk top and between said pedestals, the converging pedestal walls which extend rearwardly from the front of the desk being disposed at a smaller angle to each other than the converging pedestal walls which extend forwardly from the back of the desk, whereby the leg space under the back portion of the desk extends lengthwise 0f the desk to a greater extent than the leg 5. In a desk, the combination of an elongated Y desk top and hollow pedestals disposed under the` end portions of said desk top and containing storage facilities, said pedestals having inner, and rear, side wall portions which converge respectively from widely spaced relation at the front and back of the desk to less widely spaced relation intermediate the front and back of the desk, whereby there is provided leg space under both the front and back portions of the desk top and between said pedestals, the converging pedestal walls which extend rearwardly from the iront of the desk being disposed at a smaller from widely spaced relation at the front and back of the desk to less widely spaced relation intermediate the front and back of the desk, whereby there is provided leg space under both the front and back portions of the desk top and between said pedestals, the converging pedestal walls which extend rearwardly from the front of the desk being disposed at a smaller angle to each other than the converging pedestal walls which extend forwardly from the back of the desk, whereby the leg space under the back portion of the desk extends lengthwise of the desk to a greater extent than the leg space provided under the front portion of the desk, the back portion of said top projecting rearwardly beyond the rearmost portions of said pedestals so as to increase the rear to front dimension of the leg Y `space under the back portion of the desk.

7. In a desk, the combination of an elongated desk top and hollow pedestals disposed under the end portions of said desk top and containing storage facilities, said pedestals having inner, and rear, side wall portions which converge respectively from widely spaced relation at the front and back of the desk to less widely spaced relation intermediate the front and back of the desk, whereby there is provided leg space under both the front and back portions of the desk top and between said pedestals, the converging pedestal walls which extend rearwardly from the iront of the desk being disposed at a smaller angle to each other than the converging pedestal walls which extend forwardly from the back of the desk, whereby the leg space under the back portion of the desk extends lengthwise of the desk to a greater extent than the leg space provided under the iront portion of the desk, said desk top having end edges in substantially v parallel relation to the front and outer side walls of the respectively adjacent pedestals.

IRVING RICHARD CORNISH. 

